by Jasmin Carroll

Summer Dye’s art online gallery holds in it a palpable love for marriage, the seasons, the female body and art itself. In her art you will almost always notice the leaves and the wind. In Honeymoon, romance is at the center of creation. The tones are dark, like black love. Her paintings have a pulse and you always see strong, sturdy branches and leaves holding steady in the mists of turbulent nature.

"The seasons really inspire me," says Summer in her home in D.C. "The substance of that media. That something grew and God just made it grow... beautiful things that I cannot make myself... I love to take that thing and put it into the art."

In the paintings, Jazzy and Latina we see two completely different women. The Latina here is sad and proud. The painting looks like a snap shot given begrudgingly by the subject. She resembles heartache and her heartache is beautiful. Where as Jazzy mixes motion and music to complement a woman’s body. Soulfulness represented two different ways.

"I think you’re kind of born an artist. I think that with any dream or goal, as long as you don’t give up, it’s gonna’ happen. Whatever you think that you have a passion to do, or even if you’re not passionate about it, it’s something that just comes out of you in excellence. Make sure that you always nurture that gift – take classes in it to make sure that you’re always ready for when the time comes that you’re supposed to do it professionally."

"My relationship with God inspires me. Just to see how calm and peaceful He is."

This type of relationship, for an artist, takes courage. Talking with Summer you realize that she knows the difference between being strong in the world and strong with God. When you answer only to yourself and your whims, the sky is the limit. When you answer only to God and His will, "the highest heavens, cannot contain Him." (2 Corinthians 2:6), so the highest heavens cannot contain you.

When our conversation turned to the average person just working a job as opposed to having a career, Summer shows that God has given her the eyes to see and the ears to hear in our community.

"So many people get afraid to really do things that are outside of the workforce. But wealthy people create the workforce to make [themselves] wealthy. They create school systems as well, to train workers to work for them. So, it’s important for you to have your own calling and to follow it. It’s important to understand that God has made us the head and not the tail and in the right season, He’s gonna’ bring you to a place where he calls you to be that particular thing."

Summer has been in relationship with UrbanKingdomMagazine.com since its former cover as BlackCityMagazine.com. Please support her walk with God. She has been blessed with a gift that will surely bless you. Her art is courageous, vibrant, affordable and available online at www.summerdye.com.